In beverage production systems using capsules, the capsule is usually inserted into the beverage production module of the machine. The module is designed to inject a liquid, such as for example hot water, into the capsule in order to have the liquid interacts with the ingredients contained in the capsule. Note that some beverage production techniques ask for a pressurized injection like coffee beverage, others such as e.g. brewing tea can be made at ambient pressure. The invention can find application in both scenarios. The result of the interaction, i.e. the produced beverage or liquid comestible, is then drained from the capsule and fed to a receptacle such as e.g. a cup placed below an outlet for the beverage.
The invention relates particularly to beverage production machines comprising a module with a first capsule engagement member, which can be displaced relative to a second co-operating capsule engagement member between an opened capsule insertion position and a closed capsule-enclosure position. The module comprises means for actively retracting the capsule from the beverage production position to a capsule discharge position in which the capsule is discharged from the module. Such a machine presents the advantage of having a capsule discharge position which is offset relative to the beverage production position. This advantage is of interest when the machine and the capsule are conceived for delivering the beverage directly out of the capsule in a cup without the beverage contacting the machine since it enables the discharge of the capsule in a position which is offset relative to the vertical of the beverage flow path. Such a beverage production machine is described in EP-A1-2033551, WO 2011/144479 or WO 2015/032651.
In such a machine, the capsule is introduced in the beverage production module, is retained by pre-fixation arms in a pre-engagement position and is then engaged by a first engagement member that is conformal to the capsule shape further to the movement of the first engagement member to the capsule. At the end of this movement, the capsule is clamped between the first and the second engagement members and the diluent, generally water, can be introduced to interact with the ingredients in the capsule. The resulting beverage flows out of the capsule either through en outlet provided in the capsule or/and produced by the machine during the capsule engagement and falls by gravity in a cup. Once the beverage has been delivered, the first engagement member moves back to the capsule discharge position dragging the capsule towards a position offset relative to the vertical of the beverage flow path. The movement of the first engagement member is a combination of a linear movement and an end swivelling movement so that the capsule can fall by gravity from the first engagement member.
The module comprises means for retaining the rim of the capsule extending beyond the first capsule engagement member when the first capsule engagement member is displaced from the beverage production position to its capsule discharge position. These means consist in two tabs symmetrically positioned on the lateral walls of the frame of the module and able to retain the rim of the capsule.
The first engagement member, that is conformal to the capsule shape, comprises holding means configured for holding the capsule therein during the transport of the capsule by the first engagement member back to the capsule discharge position towards a position offset relative to the vertical of the beverage flow path. These holding means are friction means that exerts a friction on the capsule enclosure outer wall when it is engaged in the first capsule engagement member. According to WO 2011/144479 or WO 2015/032651, these holding means are discrete bumps placed on the internal surface of the hollow bell member of the first capsule engagement member and made of a flexible and resilient material like an elastomeric material. Indeed the friction on the capsule must not be too important so that the tabs can easily retain the capsule through its rim during the capsule displacement; for that aim the nature of an elastomeric material is perfectly adapted. Yet such bumps of flexible and resilient material represent a certain cost in terms of machine manufacturing in view of their nature and the necessity to assemble them on the internal surface of the first engagement member that is usually made of hard plastic. It means that changing the nature of these bumps or removing these bumps would directly impact the efficient discharge of the capsule from the first capsule engagement member.
The invention now targets at an improvement of the beverage production machines described in WO 2011/144479 or WO 2015/032651 in order to reduce the cost of production of machines while providing reliable discharge of the capsule from such beverage machines.